Welcome to the Sanderson Images blog.

We are professional wedding photographers in Lancaster, PA. We are a married photography team dedicated to capturing real moments and creative images in our own unique and artistic style. For over 12 years we've captured hundreds of weddings across America, from Aspen Colorado to Newport, RI offering clients a fun and easy-going experience. Let us offer the same to you!

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Kirsten and Ben were married on May 13th, with a ceremony and reception at a private estate in Petersburg, Pennsylvania.

These two met in September of 2015 online and talked together for about a month before they decided to go to a Penn State game for their first date. Kirsten is a huge Penn State fan, so it was the perfect first date, even if Ben did have to drive 3.5 hours to get there! They met up one more time for a quick dinner at his place a week later before Ben had to go oversees for 6 weeks for his job. They kept emailing, and when he came back, they started dating, and the rest is history.

On the day of the wedding, John started out with Ben and his guys, while Kim was with Kirsten and the girls at the McBurney Manor, a B&B not far from where the ceremony would be. Before we brought the two of them together for a first look, Kirsten wanted to do a first look with her father, and Ben wanted a moment with his own dad and his brother to pray together before the big day. It was clear to see that family, and God, meant a lot to both of them.

Ben and Kirsten wrote notes to each other they could read before the first look. After they read these notes, finally, we had them walk around a building to see each other. That was one of our favorite moments of the whole day, because they were so genuinely in the moment.

Then, it was off to the cute little church for the ceremony. Again, family played a big role, as Kirsten’s mother sang during the ceremony. But it was the little doggy ring bearer who stole everyone’s hearts when he made his way down the aisle.

We were able to take plenty of pictures around the old farm buildings with the bride and groom, and we were so grateful they were willing to run with our suggestions. We love how so many of their images turned out, especially the ones with Kirsten’s shawl. And the sunset and dusk photos were the perfect way to end, capturing the mood of the evening.

Of course, we couldn’t blog about this wedding day without mentioning the amazing love and care poured into the details. So many of the details were DIY, including a bar the groom made himself! It totally fits with their personalities. Kirsten bakes cupcakes as a side business and hobby (though for the wedding they opted for a cookies and milk bar!), and both of them have been renovating their home and working in real estate.

Kirsten & Ben, thank you for asking us to be your wedding photographers. It was a beautiful day, and you were both so wonderful to work with. We loved the DIY work you put in and the way everyone came together to celebrate. We hope you had fun in Portugal!

Melissa and Chris were married on April 22nd, with a ceremony at St. Joseph’s Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and a reception at Excelsior.

These two met at a Phillies game when they bumped into each other perpendicularly in the main corridor. They started talking and hit it off—and never went back to their seats. Since then, they’ve only fallen deeper in love and enjoy traveling together and finding new adventures.

On the day of the wedding, Kimberly was with Melissa as she got ready in the bridal suite at Excelsior, and John was with Chris at the Hotel Lancaster. Melissa and Chris had both arranged for gifts for their bridesmaids and groomsmen as well as for each other to open while they were getting ready, in lieu of a first look. It was the thoughtful little details like that which really made up the day—such as the photographic pendants on Melissa’s bouquet of all the loved ones that couldn’t be there.

The whole wedding party was a blast. They had rented a trolley to transport everyone to and from the ceremony at the church, and after the stunning traditional Catholic ceremony, with a full Mass, we had a great time exploring Excelsior with them all. At one point, Chris even got carried away by his friends—the look on his face was absolutely priceless.

Despite the rainy weather, we were still able to get plenty of photos on location with the brick wall and old buildings, and after that, it was all about having fun and dancing with all of the guests. They had a Rush tribute band at the party that kept everyone’s energy high, though it was the sparkler exit that sealed the night for us as one of our favorite moments.

Chris & Melissa, thank you for asking us to be your wedding photographers. We had so much fun exploring Excelsior with you and your amazing family and friends!

These two met when they were both attending the Stony Brook Southampton Writer’s Conference on Long Island. Lauren and Gregory had been assigned to the same small group to workshop each other’s novels. So, technically, their writing was their first “introduction” to each other. On the day of the wedding, they played on this unique introduction with beautiful letters they had written to one another before the ceremony. Kimberly, and I were honored to be able to capture the moment they read those letters together.

Their first look was probably our favorite part of the day. Lauren staged a first look with Gregory and the emotion was palpable throughout. It’s obvious that these two are very loving and very close, which made them wonderful people to photograph. We loved in particular the portrait of Lauren letting her shawl fly in the breeze as well as the moody picture of Gregory with the dark clouds.

These two poured so much attention into the little details of the day. For example, Gregory’s mother had a piece of ribbon embroidered with Lauren’s new initials and her wedding date sewn into the lining of her dress. The ring bearer also carried a book of Pablo Neruda’s poetry, which Gregory had given Lauren on one of their first Valentine’s Days together, calling back to their love of writing. They even had vintage typewriters for people to type out notes to them instead of signing a guest book.

The attention to detail even shone through in their choices for picture locations. Lauren’s parents had their reception at the Hotel Hershey, and they had some pictures from 1979 of her mother out by the little pools behind the hotel. The bride and groom wanted to capture that same feeling and stage some pictures there, which was a wonderful touch.

Of course, these two are also big foodies, so we were sure to get pictures of all the amazing food as well as the ice cream truck that came for the reception.

Gregory & Lauren, your wedding was truly a unique and beautiful event, filled with wonderful people. We were so blessed to be part of it.

Lydia and Kyle were married on April 8th, with a ceremony and reception at the Cameron Estate in Lancaster PA.

Lydia and Kyle met in January of 2015 because she happened to be friends with his brother, Bryce, after meeting him through work. One night, they went out to Wilmington, Delaware, with a group of friends, and the two of them hit it off. They fell in love not only with each other’s senses of humor and passions but for their love of Christ—since both of them are deeply religious, something that was reflected during the ceremony and throughout the wedding day.

Kim started out with Lydia and the girls, while John was with Kyle and the guys getting ready. Lydia absolutely adored her dress, telling us how “comfortable and flattering” she felt the Stella York design was, and the antique-inspired dress was incredibly flattering as it hugged her figure and fell into a gorgeous train.

Lydia’s hair and makeup were done before she arrived at the Cameron Estate, so we just covered the dress and the finishing touches. This allowed us to focus on the truly touching moment between Lydia and her mother as well as the expressions on Kyle and Lydia’s faces as they read notes that they had written to each other prior to the first look. Lydia held a first look with her father, who seemed entirely stunned when he saw her for the first time in her dress, before she met up with Kyle for a touching first look before the ceremony.

Their focus for the day truly was on the ceremony itself as well as their religious beliefs and the meaning behind their marriage. A small message was included in the ceremony as well as a prayer and the unity candle ceremony.

We also loved that they focused on family, with their mothers being walked down by their sons during the processional before Lydia’s father walked her down the aisle. Lydia truly has a wonderful relationship with her father, and that moment, as well as the first look as the father daughter dance, was both wonderful and emotional.

During this spring wedding, there were buttercups everywhere and plenty of happy people to photograph, both before the ceremony and after it, as we roamed the grounds and the conservatory for pictures.

After the cocktail hour, it was time for the reception, where again, Lydia and her father had everyone emotional as we watched their dance together. And while there was a moment when Lydia spilled wine on herself, the whole day was filled with laughter and love.

Kyle & Lydia, thank you for asking us to be part of your beautiful wedding. It was truly wonderful to be there with you both!

Rose and Jordi met in September of 2012 just 2 weeks after Jordi moved to the United States from the Netherlands. He was living just 4 blocks away from Rose’s house, and after much persistence from her friends, they finally met up at a bar directly between their houses. The rest is history.

This wedding was particularly fun for us to shoot because the sister of the bride, Rebecca, is a very close friend of ours. It was amazing to spend some time with Rebecca and her kids at an event like this and to see her whole family all together.

I started out with Jordi at the Marriott across from the Lancaster City Visitor Center, while Kim was with Rose getting ready. Rose had her sisters as well as both of her sisters-in-law to be bridesmaids, along with three of her other friends—and Jordi’s two step-sisters were the flower girls along with Rose’s niece. Jordi had asked several of his friends, including his host-brother from when he lived in Kentucky for a year, to be groomsmen, along with Rose’s brother.

While they were getting ready, they had a small gift exchange before we staged a first look between Rose and her father ahead of the ceremony. She and Jordi had decided not to have a first look just the two of them, so we walked across the street to the visitor center after that.

The ceremony was informal but filled with their family and friends as a friend of the family officiated for them and Rose’s sister, Ruth—who also served as the unofficial coordinator for Rose as they put together the big day—did a scripture reading after an opening prayer. Perhaps most amazing was the Lord’s Prayer, which Rose’s father sang during the wine unity. He was absolutely amazing to listen to! We also loved watching Rebecca walk down the aisle with the two little ring bearers, Ryan and James.

That family unity and love was present throughout the entire day. There were so many moments when Rose and Jordi were laughing out loud with each other and their friends and family, smiling like everyone should on their wedding day. Even the flowers were part of that togetherness, with many of them provided by Rose’s father’s hydroponic farm and arranged by her friends and family. Rose loves to garden, and the two of them often go to the park with their dog and Jordi’s son, so the flowers were particularly special to them.

We also loved the fact that, while the wedding was small and intimate, Rose and Jordi made sure that they incorporated elements of both the United States and the Netherlands so that both of their cultures were represented.

The two of them were so fun to photograph once it was time for portraits. Even though it was chilly, they did so well, showcasing a classy, elegant style that carried over not only in the portrait sessions but in the un-posed moments of the wedding. They wanted to get a few outdoor shots, and of course, we were only too happy to oblige.

After the dinner and cake-cutting, all that was left was the dancing, especially, of course, the first dance, which Rose and Jordi shared to Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.”

Rose & Jordi, thank you so much for letting us be part of your wedding day! We love your family so much and were honored to be included in your celebrations!

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